According to the World Health Organization, approximately 150 million people worldwide have diabetes mellitus. The two principle forms of diabetes are type 1 diabetes, in which the pancreas fails to produce insulin, and type 2 diabetes, in which the body fails to respond properly to the insulin produced (insulin resistance). Accounting for about 90% of all diabetes cases, type 2 diabetes is by far the most common. In both types of diabetes, the absence of insulin action or proper response to insulin results in elevated levels of serum glucose (hyperglycemia). Serious complications associated with diabetes include retinopathy (leading to visual impairment or blindness), cardiovascular disease, nephropathy, neuropathy, ulcers and diabetic foot disease.
Individuals with type 1 diabetes currently require insulin therapy. While in many cases type 2 diabetes can be managed with diet and exercise, drug intervention also frequently is required. Besides insulin, which is needed by about one-third of patients with type 2 diabetes, current antidiabetic therapies include biguanides (which decrease glucose production in the liver and increase sensitivity to insulin), sulfonylureas and meglitinides (which stimulate insulin production), alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (which slow starch absorption and glucose production), and thiazolidinediones (which increase insulin sensitivity). These medicines are often used in combination, and even then may not provide adequate glycemic control or may produce undesired side effects. Such side effects include lactic acidosis (biguanides), hypoglycemia (sulfonylureas), and edema and weight gain (thiazolidinediones). Therefore, new antidiabetic agents providing improved glycemic control and lacking these adverse effects are highly desired.
Compounds which inhibit SGLT, particularly SGLT2, are currently under clinical evaluation for use as antidiabetic drugs. Compounds previously described as useful for inhibiting SGLT include C-glycoside derivatives (such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,414,126, US20040138439, US20050209166, US20050233988, WO2005085237, U.S. Pat. No. 7,094,763, US20060009400, US20060019948, US20060035841, US20060122126, US20060234953, WO2006108842, US20070049537 and WO2007136116), O-glycoside derivatives (such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,683,056, US20050187168, US20060166899, US20060234954, US20060247179 and US20070185197), spiroketal-glycoside derivatives (described in WO2006080421), cyclohexane derivatives (such as those described in WO2006011469), and thio-glucopyranoside derivatives (such as those described in US20050209309 and WO2006073197) In addition to the agents described in the noted references, new processes are needed for their synthesis that can improve upon current yields and provide compounds in crystalline form. Surprisingly, the present invention addresses such needs.